Charles Reynold de Chauvancy drafted a code named Télégraphie Nautique
Polyglotte (Polyglot Nautical Telegraphy) in 1855 which was made compulsory
for the French military and merchant marine the same year.

This code was based on combination of unicolor flags, balls and pennants to
replace the typical flags used at this time. These flags were difficult to see
without a wind causing frequent errors because colours when seen from afar
created confusion.

This code did not succeed in international usage and it was
abandoned in 1864 in favor of the Commercial Code of Signals.
In looking in his book of 1855, I found a chart presenting the telegraphic
signals used in France at this time.

I should point that, according to the Navigation Rules for Merchant
Ships of Romania from 9 August 1862, these ships were to use Reynold's signal
code (mostlikely the French version).Alex Danes, 14 May 2010